TTD to release Vaikunta Ekadasi tickets online on November 10

TIRUMALA: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) will release Vaikunta Ekadasi tickets online on November 10, 2023, said TTD executive officer (EO) AV Dharma Reddy. He participated in the monthly Dial your EO programme held at the Annamayya Bhavan on Friday, where 28 pilgrim callers from various parts of the country participated.

Dharma Reddy said that the TTD would celebrate the 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam fete from December 23 to January 1, 2024, providing darshan to lakhs of devotees. The TTD cancelled all privileged darshan like parents with infants, challenged persons, senior citizens and NRIs from December 23-January 1. All arjita sevas also remain cancelled during the period, he said.

The TTD EO said that Rs 300 Special Entry Darshan (SED) tickets would be released online on November 10. Around 2.25 lakh tickets would be released for a 10-day period from December 23 to January. Similarly, as many as 20,000 SRIVANI tickets would be released online during the 10-day festival days. The SRIVANI ticket holders would also be provided Rs 300 darshan only during the Vaikunta Dwaram period as in the case of previous years, he added.

“The TTD will issue around 4.25 lakh Slotted Sarva Darshan (SSD) tokens during these days in 100 counters at nine different places in Tirupati for the benefit of common pilgrims. Those without tickets or tokens can come to Tirumala and visit other places but will not be allowed for darshan during these ten days,” he said, and the annual Brahmotsavam of Sri Padmavati temple at Tiruchanoor would be observed in a grand way from November 10-18.

Dharma Reddy said that important events included Dwajarohanam on November 10, Gaja Vahana on November 14, Panchami Theertham on November 18 and Pushpa Yagam on November 19. The TTD spent Rs 9 crore towards the renovation of Ammavari Pushkarani and all departments are making elaborate arrangements for devotees' benefit, he added.

TTD EO condemns BJP’s criticism of renovation of old mandapams

Dharma Reddy condemned BJP leader Bhanu Prakash Reddy’s remarks on the TTD's proposal to reconstruct the ancient Mandapams near Padala Mandapam at Alipiri and Paruveta Mandapam in Tirumala.

The TTD EO said that the BJP leader had criticised the renovated and redesigned Paruveta Mandapam and wanted retention of the old structure only. Terming the criticism painful, he said, “If Bhanuprakash Reddy is ready, I will show him both the photos of old Mandapam and the newly renovated Mandapam and also scrutinise it personally.”

Dharma Reddy said that the old Mandapam near Alipiri was dilapidated and beyond repair and hence, on the report of the engineering department, the Mandapam was renovated. Both the Mandapams were not under the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and hence no permissions were needed from them, he said and added that such motivated and distorted criticism on sensitive issues hurt the sentiments of devotees and inflicted injustice on the Hindu community.